I made a small update at the beginning of the last chapter but it is important, although you don't need to read it. I will try and get the final chapter up before Christmas.

Shane Mallson

'Wait a second.' I said. 'If you're a Manticore then how can you wield a Gods symbol of power?' Then Nathan snapped his fingers like he had got it.

'Because you're not in Monster form are you. That's why you had to change back into looking like a human. That belongs to some Echidna doesn't it? And she's using her energy to make you seem less like a monster. But I noticed that when you teleported us you flinched. I take it that if you use too much energy then you'll die. Otherwise you could of teleported us off the edge of a cliff. And you're the uprising aren't you. The prophecy mentioned an uprising and this is it. The rise of the Monsters, you might say. And Mount Othrys is your base.'

'Enough talk!' Thorn snarled at us. 'Guards!' Within seconds about dozen Scythian dracana marched through the entrance of Mount Othrys.

'You handle the Manticore.' Kaliope told us. 'We've got them.' I thought it was unlikely that three Hunters could beat all of them, but then again they were probably Demigods. And if we Demigods are good at one thing it was the impossible.

And with that we drew our weapons and charged at Thorn.

Now I bet I know what you're thinking. Six Demigods against one Monster, you can take it easy. Well my friends if you think that then you are incredibly stupid.

Summer shot arrows at him but it did no good. He just twirled his spear and they shot back at Summer just as she was about to shoot a heavy golden arrow. And it was just her luck that one of those arrows was an exploding one. Probably given to her by one of her cabin mates.

She managed to avoid getting shredded but the blast from the explosion sent her flying. I couldn't tell if she was breathing, but hoped so.

Lea jumped on his back pulling the net over his face and tangling up one of his arms. He waved his spear at us and we were thrown back. Thorn was struggling to get Lea off his back and even though she was punching him it didn't seem to do any difference.

He finally managed to grab Lea's arms and sent her flying knocking her out cold.

I summoned some vines out of the ground but he just pointed the spear at them and they turned to dust.

Each of us kept trying to find an opening but anytime we got close he just used the power given to him by the spear to force us back. It was only with the help of each other that we dodge his strikes and generally stayed alive.

I risked turning around and saw that the Hunters were not doing so good. They had killed almost half of the Dracana they had engaged the rest of them in close quarter combat. They were mostly used to shooting arrows and even though they were holding their own the Dracana would soon overwhelm.

When I looked back at the Commando dude (I had forgotten about that nickname) had just his arm as Tess's whip collided around his arm. He was probably about to send her flying like the Hydra but apparently she had learnt from her mistakes (which was new).

Before Commando dude could even blink Tess ran towards and slid under his legs. Now I won't go into and detail but with the whip still in Tess's hand that had to hurt.

Commando dude turned around so fast that the spear had to be giving him power. Tess ducked just in time as the spear sailed over her head but wasn't do luck the second as hit her in the head. She wasn't unconscious but clearly hurt as there was a bruise on her head the size of an egg.

Thorn raised his spear in a threatening way. 'I've had enough of this!' he slammed his spear on the ground which made a miniature earthquake. Everyone including the Dracana had crashed into the ground was injured. The only ones who hadn't been hit were Thorn and Nathan because he had realised what Thorn was about to do and had jumped over the blast.

'I've had enough of this to.' Nathan said. 'You and me one on one. Mano oh mano, as some country that I don't know the name of says. I you win we surrender and if I win you give us the spear and we get to go free. No powers or anything like that just pure skill.'

'Very well he answered.' You could tell from his voice that he expected to win. 'I agree to your terms.'

Thorn charged forward and swiped at his head but, Nathan managed to duck. Thorn may have been bigger and stronger but Nathan was smaller and more agile.

Commando dude kept taking shots and trying to take Nathans head off. But he just ran circles around him. Literately he just ran behind him and all around him.

Nathan twirled his spear around moistened Thorn to come at him. I realised he was trying to bait him. Make him angry. Now in normal circumstances this might have been a good idea. But he didn't know if Thorn had a short temper or what his anger might do to him.

He tried to strike again but Nathan parried the blow. It went on like this for a while. Neither of them scoring any hits, until Thorn managed to get lucky.

Nathan had jumped over a blow aimed at his legs and swiped at Thorns face. He had reeled his face back. The strike hadn't killed him but cut deep into his nose.

'Aaaarrrrgggghhhhh!' He shouted as he fell back. 'You little ****** son of *****.'

'Surrender.' Nathan said pointing his spear point at his throat.

'Now why would I do that?' Thorn grabbed his spear and stabbed it on the ground. He used it to jettison up kicking him in the stomach, knocking him on the floor.

'Did you really think that you could beat me? You are right Monster's are rising and I will be a General in their grand army. You have no idea what's coming do you? I'll doubt you're going to live that long anyway. Do you think that I fear an insignificant bug like you? I don't even fear death.'

'Really?' Said a voice. We turned around and saw Summer with a golden heavy arrow notched in her bow. 'Well fear me.' And she shot the arrow at him.

Despite its size and weight it flew straight and left a golden light behind it. Thorn sliced it right in half and that turned out to be his biggest mistake. As soon as the point of his spear touched it the arrow exploded and he morphed right back into the Manticore.

And because he was still holding the spear and power of it sent him flying back, against the wall.

Nathan grabbed the Spear of Ares and shouted. 'RUN!' we made our way down the mountain side but then Devin stopped and tossed something to me. I caught it and saw that it was a big clunky phone. 'Press the nine button three times and chuck it. It'll act like a grenade. There's a five second delay.'

I pressed the button twice but then I felt a force slam into me.

When I looked up I saw Thorn in Manticore from over me in Manticore form. He was pinning one of my arms down with his paw the over raised above my head. I knew what I had to do. I reached out and grabbed that phone. I then put it to his ear and said. 'It's for you.'

Then I pressed the nine button.

I know, I know I'm a dramatic.